Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between script writers and research writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a script writer and a research writer. Additionally, a script writer has an average salary of $64,254, which is higher than the $50,741 average annual salary of a research writer.
The top three skills for a script writer include test cases, test scripts and database. The most important skills for a research writer are research topics, press releases, and editorials.
| Script Writer | Research Writer | |
| Yearly salary | $64,254 | $50,741 |
| Hourly rate | $30.89 | $24.39 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 15,222 | 60,595 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Scriptwriting is an art and craft that requires both imagination and creativity to create entertaining content and tell a story in both dialogue and picture. The script can be educational, training, film, television programs, or entertainment. The duties and responsibilities include creating characters and coming up with skeleton plots for the producer to direct the narrative and determine the outcome of events.
Research writers are professionals who conduct extensive research by taking complex information and then explaining it in lay terminology. These writers are required to conduct extensive research on various topics based on the requests of their clients to write keyword articles for search engine optimization (SEO). They must work with a wide variety of clients who specialize in web content to complete strategic research and content creation projects. Research writers must also manage research projects for companies, local and overseas.
Script writers and research writers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Script Writer | Research Writer | |
| Average salary | $64,254 | $50,741 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $106,000 | Between $32,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Pleasanton, CA | Brookline, MA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Snap | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a script writer and a research writer in terms of educational background:
| Script Writer | Research Writer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Communication | English |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between script writers' and research writers' demographics:
| Script Writer | Research Writer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.2% Female, 45.8% | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 8.7% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 8.6% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |